Why do I make art?

Christine Perrin, Mixed Media Artist

Free spirited mixed media styles that I practice:

1. Painting on my own black and white photography paper prints (Unreal on real)

2. Painting on raw fabric such as repurposed jute( texture)

3. Painting on a base of repurposed urban foraged materials such as mylar (love the light reflections)

Generally my moral compass is based on a ‘Joie de Vivre’ foundation that was learned at an early age through French heritage, family, the ten commandments and school. Through plenty of outdoor play with friends, animals and exploration I discovered nature—the love of trees, brightly coloured flowers, textures and the energy of the sun. My simple value system is rooted in authenticity, honesty, integrity and respect. Although an understanding of my own existence is limited—I believe that human beings have a natural desire for happiness. Many of us search for similarities and commonalities with others so we can unite in agreement around common goals and values, creating a sense of solidarity and life purpose--art does that. My love for studying art, artists, museums and architectural history never gets old. I want my experiences to add 'extra' innovative inspiration to my art and to keep growing as an artist.

Materials: The choice of materials to use in my mixed media pieces is the driving force behind my creative process. Each piece has to have something that is re-used, re-purposed or recycled in its content. Art gives me an opportunity to reduce waste in landfills in addition to creating mindful pieces. By incorporating even small amounts of non biodegradable mylar and plastic waste into my art --My art can reduce environmental impact in a beautiful way. For instance, in my mind, mylar is a very expensive, sophisticated, challenging and useful art material whose properties are worth exploring. A material that can survive into the future is an artists dream. If I am lucky--one will make it to a museum in the next century.

Technically speaking, Mylar is a brand name for a type of polyester film made from biaxially oriented polyethylene terephthalate (PET), has several environmental impacts due to its widespread use and challenging disposal characteristics. (Think food pouches, chip bags, airplane pretzels, hotel gourmet coffee sleeves, computer component packaging, emergency blankets, space blankets etc.) Here are some key points regarding Mylar's nasty environmental impact sourced from open AI:

• Mylar is not biodegradable.

• Mylar can have a 500 year lifespan in the environment.

• Mylar is not easily recycled and therefore ends up in landfills.

• Discarded Mylar poses risks to wildlife.

• Production of mylar is an energy-intensive processes with a large carbon footprint.

• Reflective properties can contribute to visual pollution.

• It was invented in the 1940's by Dupont and trademarked in 1955.—The question is how much mylar is already polluting our land, water and ozone? I can see producing a large scale community art project across the planet! For sure we can do something with this material in a big way?

Color: There is plenty of scientific research in psychology and environmental design that supports the use of bright colours having a positive impact on emotional well being, happiness and elevated mood. As a contemporary artist I am privileged to have access to the most incredible choice of paint colors in Oil, Acrylic and Ink that has ever been throughout history. I often perform color studies in nature taking nix color sensing samples of leaves, flowers, bark and rocks so I have a close match for RGB, CMYK and as a guide for paint mediums. The camera provides precise references for light shadow, contrast and intensity. My palette is natural, varied, sometimes random but also true, bold and surprising. Color provides visual interest but also conveys emotional understanding and meaning. My art is a dose of happy.

Size, Space Time: In order to make a connection with your eyes from screens and urban noise, the SIZE of the piece matters. The size of the SPACE also matters. In our modern lives the wall space has shrunk, along with the amount of TIME we spend in the natural world. I take all of this into consideration when creating a piece. Cross functional art is inspiring, entertaining, decorating, mesmorizing, AND fits into a limited space. Art is an important element in living,working and public spaces--I want to attract mindful visual attention and try to match the scale of my art to the message.

Format: Mixed media visual art is the perfect fit for my multidisciplinary creative process. It combines various materials and techniques, often including traditional and non-traditional media. This might involve incorporating elements like mylar, fabric, metal, found objects, and papier mache components into a single piece. Often utilizing the combined skills of photographer, sculptor, print maker and painter.

Price: There are a few pricing challenges for emerging artists to overcome. Mixed media is a fairly new style in comparison to the traditional oil painting. In the mind of the collector it may have a perceived value. There are no shortcuts to a good reputation and so that is a work in progress. It takes small steps to connect with the art community and be invited to exhibit. The investment potential for one of my pieces may take a few years. Every original that is sold comes with a certificate of authentification to ensure that it was created by me. Each piece is signed on the back with details about the piece and when it was made.